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Jewish Healthcare Foundation Releases Report on Self-Directed Patient Safety Technology

Jewish Healthcare Foundation Releases Report on Self-Directed Patient Safety Technology

Business Wire28-05-2025
PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The technology exists for patients and families to prevent a medication error, understand what symptoms present a potentially serious condition, avoid an emergency room or hospital visit, schedule an appointment with a local specialist of high quality—all from their phone or wearable device. In a new report released today by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF), the opportunities are clear for individuals and families to play a more active role in protecting their health through emerging technologies and digital tools.
'As the healthcare system faces unprecedented financial and human pressures, self-directed safety is a scalable, patient-centered solution.'
The report, Self-Directed Patient Safety: Mapping the Emerging Landscape of Consumer-Facing Innovation, developed in partnership with TEConomy Partners, LLC, comes at a critical time: medical errors remain the third leading cause of death in the United States, healthcare spending continues to rise faster than the economy, and chronic illness affects six in ten Americans. Amid these unsustainable trends, JHF's new report identifies self-directed patient safety —the empowerment of patients to prevent harm and manage care through direct-to-consumer technologies—as a promising strategy for improving outcomes while reducing costs.
'This is a generational opportunity to rethink how we approach patient safety,' said Karen Wolk Feinstein, PhD, President and CEO of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative. 'By putting modern tools directly in patients' hands—like AI-powered symptom checkers, smart medication dispensers, and remote monitoring devices—we can shift from a reactive system to one focused on prevention, engagement, and shared responsibility.'
She continues, 'Over a decade ago, our Foundation identified four interventions that would dramatically reduce hospitalizations: managing chronic conditions in the community, greater medication scrutiny, addressing behavioral health issues as early as possible, and engaging patients in advancing their health. The first three have gotten more attention; patient engagement remains a promising but underdeveloped opportunity.'
The report explores five key areas where preventable harm often occurs—medication errors, patient care errors, diagnostic errors, infection errors, and surgical errors—and showcases timely innovations across these domains. It also outlines the market forces, regulatory barriers, and investment trends shaping the future of self-directed safety.
Key findings include:
Growing innovation and venture capital activity in consumer health tech, particularly in AI-driven health IT and digital platforms.
Notable solutions are being developed to support high-risk groups such as aging adults, new parents, individuals with chronic diseases, and rare disease patients.
Significant regulatory and economic challenges slowing adoption of direct-to-consumer safety tools—yet also opportunities for leadership in regions like Pittsburgh, which combine world-class health care with technology innovation.
The report's release supports JHF's broader mission to advance patient safety and innovation in health care. It aligns closely with recent priorities from the CMS Innovation Center, including empowering people to achieve health goals, encouraging evidence-based prevention, and leveraging technology to improve care delivery.
'As the healthcare system faces unprecedented financial and human pressures, self-directed safety is a scalable, patient-centered solution,' added Dr. Feinstein. 'We hope this report sparks new partnerships, policies, and products that empower people to protect themselves and their loved ones.'
The full report is available at jhf.org.
Available for Interviews: Karen Wolk Feinstein, PhD, President and CEO, Jewish Healthcare Foundation
About the Jewish Healthcare Foundation
The Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF) and its three operating arms — the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative (PRHI), Health Careers Futures (HCF), and the Women's Health Activist Movement Global (WHAMglobal) — offer a unique brand of activist philanthropy to advance healthcare innovation, advocacy, collaboration, and education in the interest of better health. For more information, visit jhf.org.
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What the Future of Medicaid and Medicare Could Look Like
What the Future of Medicaid and Medicare Could Look Like

Newsweek

time18 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

What the Future of Medicaid and Medicare Could Look Like

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. On this day 60 years ago, the Medicaid and Medicare programs were signed into law by former President Lyndon B. Johnson. It was July 30, 1965, and both programs were established within the Social Security Act. Designed as federal programs to assist the elderly, disabled individuals and those with low income, both have grown into the largest sources of health care coverage in the country. Tens of millions of Americans rely on the programs, and they have protected the country's most vulnerable populations for over six decades now. Before the programs were established, around half of all Americans over 65 had no means of medical insurance, forcing them to pay hefty prices or forgo care entirely. Nowadays, that figure has dropped significantly. 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Analysis of 2024 enrollment data also revealed there were 2.8 million Americans either enrolled in Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in multiple states, or simultaneously enrolled in both Medicaid or CHIP and a subsidized Affordable Care Act (ACA) Exchange plan, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). As a result, CMS said it would take action to ensure individuals are only enrolled in one program, vowing to "continue to crush fraud, waste, and abuse in America's health care programs." Although, while in principle boosting efficiency and transparency while reducing costs, these changes may also have less desirable impacts on beneficiaries in the future, experts have warned. "Research suggests that the people who will lose coverage from this policy will mostly be working or have serious health problems and should still be in the program," Dr. Benjamin Sommers, a professor of health care economics at Harvard T.H. 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"Changes to the federal share of Medicaid spending will cause states to either cut enrollment, cut benefits, cut payments to providers or greatly increase their spending," she said. While Medicaid is more directly affected by the bill than Medicare, Pauly said that "Medicare's time will come when provider reimbursements are cut so much that fewer doctors will accept it." Goold added that Medicare will also be indirectly affected by the bill, such as via increases in income tax deductions, including for seniors on social security, which "means less revenue to both Medicare and Social Security." "That speeds up the trajectory toward insolvency, unless future cuts are made to benefits," she said. Also, provider payment rate changes may "make it more difficult for Medicare enrollees to find providers," Goold added. At a time when Medicaid and Medicare popularity is at all-time high, the new tax bill was found to be somewhat unfavorable throughout the county, according to a KFF study, suggesting the federal health programs could have a rocky future as public opinion and policy decision clash. Shafer said: "This bill has been described as 'the biggest rollback in federal support for health coverage ever,' when families are still struggling to bounce back from years of higher inflation and the economy is showing signs of slowing down." Hospital Closures As Medicaid cuts will reduce the number of Americans with insurance, there will be "fewer people who can pay for health care, making it harder for hospitals, nursing homes, and other practices to stay in business," Nicholas said. "We are already starting to see facilities cut back service lines and staffing that they don't think that they can maintain," she added. 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Viridian Therapeutics Announces Collaboration and License Agreement with Kissei Pharmaceutical to Develop and Commercialize Veligrotug and VRDN-003 in Japan with an Upfront Payment of $70 Million and up to $315 Million in Milestone Payments
Viridian Therapeutics Announces Collaboration and License Agreement with Kissei Pharmaceutical to Develop and Commercialize Veligrotug and VRDN-003 in Japan with an Upfront Payment of $70 Million and up to $315 Million in Milestone Payments

Business Wire

timean hour ago

  • Business Wire

Viridian Therapeutics Announces Collaboration and License Agreement with Kissei Pharmaceutical to Develop and Commercialize Veligrotug and VRDN-003 in Japan with an Upfront Payment of $70 Million and up to $315 Million in Milestone Payments

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Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Neither the company, nor its affiliates, advisors, or representatives, undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the company's views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.

Veolia Heads a Groundbreaking Wastewater Epidemiological Surveillance Across Europe
Veolia Heads a Groundbreaking Wastewater Epidemiological Surveillance Across Europe

Business Wire

time2 hours ago

  • Business Wire

Veolia Heads a Groundbreaking Wastewater Epidemiological Surveillance Across Europe

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